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Tennessee duo jailed after meth bust on I-70

A pair of Tennessee residents face a variety of possible charges after a traffic stop Tuesday morning near the Colorado-Utah line on Interstate 70 allegedly turned up nearly 8 ounces of methamphetamine.

Jessie Moody, 28, of Lexington, Tenn., and Thomas Phoenix, 59, of Decaturville, Tenn., were ordered Wednesday held at the Mesa County Jail on $10,000 bonds, each, one day after their arrests along the eastbound shoulder of I-70, near the Mack exit. Both were advised of possible charges of distribution of a controlled substance and a sentence-enhancer special offender charge.

A Western Colorado Drug Task Force officer wrote in an arrest affidavit she was parked in the I-70 center median, at the state line, when she became suspicious of a gray car entering the state in the left lane, but with no other vehicles around it. The car allegedly weaved twice outside its lane, while slowing below the posted 60 mph speed limit, the affidavit said. After the stop, the officer noted a moderate odor of marijuana coming from inside the vehicle, the affidavit said.

Phoenix, who was driving, allegedly refused consent to search the vehicle, but the officer said she had probable cause to run her K-9 dog around it. The dog gave an alert, sitting “as trained to do,” near the trunk, the affidavit said.

The officer found six ounce-sized baggies holding suspected meth hidden under the driver side seat, the affidavit said.